Earlier this month, the Detroit Regional Chamber’s TalentEd and MichAuto, in partnership with the Southeast Michigan Community Alliance (SEMCA), hosted a Career Development Talent Summit, Connect 360: Talent, Technology, and Transformation. The event brought together nearly 150 employers, educators, and workforce professionals for a day promoting the intersection of innovation and talent development.
Through engaging panels and breakout sessions, attendees explored strategies for building equitable talent pipelines, leveraging technology in workforce planning, and strengthening employer branding to attract the next generation of talent. Additionally, a student panel provided first-hand accounts of the challenging job market that recent graduates face, highlighting steps education and industry partners can take to better connect students to opportunities in the Detroit Region. Employers also shared their talent challenges and discussed industry trends and innovative approaches to building an inclusive talent pipeline.
In addition to SEMCA and Chamber staff, speakers included:
- Ashleigh Glass-Cooper, Senior HR Generalist, TWB
- Jessie Krasa, Campus Partnerships, 12twenty
- Mark Macdonald, Product Specialist, Handshake
- Manish Senta, Chief Executive Officer, TekWissen
- Julie Short, Manager, Employer Partnerships
- Beth Swanson, Talent Solutions Specialist of Strategic Marketing Initiatives, Michigan Economic Development Corporation
- Bernard Swiecki, Vice President, Mobility and Research, The Detroit Regional Partnership
- Ann Thompson, Manager, Workforce Development, Ford Motor Company
- Carla Walker-Miller, Chief Executive Officer, Walker-Miller Energy Services
The event also featured insights from the GEM Future Tech and Mobility Talent Study, offering a forward-looking view of the region’s workforce priorities through 2030. Explore the GEM Talent Study findings.
Connect 360 kicks off the Chamber’s ongoing Industry Insights series that will bring together education and business leaders on a quarterly basis to share information and dialogue about the latest talent trends and shifts in the Region’s key industries. The series will feature networking and a panel discussion from industry experts followed by Q&A so that education leaders are equipped with the latest information to advise and support their students’ career development.
Educators looking to get involved in TalentEd’s work can fill out this form or contact Amber Greenway Neher at aneher@detroitchamber.com. Employers looking to get involved can fill out this form or contact Erin Walker at ewalker@detroitchamber.com.